DETROIT — After being hired by the Blue Jackets last week, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen proceeded to downplay his Finnish citizenship, shrugging off questions about what it means to be the first European general manager in an increasingly global NHL.

But yesterday, a few hours into his first full day on the job, Kekalainen allowed that perhaps his long road to an NHL general manager’s position might have been easier had he been born in North America.

“Maybe,” said Kekalainen when asked if he had to clear hurdles that a Canadian or American would not. “Maybe. But that’s all right. I’ve always kind of shrugged my shoulders when people have said it could be a roadblock for me.“But I don’t want to look at the past. I work hard and I’ve paid my dues.”

Kekalainen arrived in the United States on Wednesday night after a weeklong effort to secure a work visa in Helsinki. He had a few drinks with the coaching staff in the team hotel on Wednesday night, had breakfast with president of hockey operations John Davidson yesterday and then addressed the team before their pregame skate in Joe Louis Arena.

It was, he said, a short and simple introduction, and a likely precursor to more in-depth conversations. Kekalainen said his immediate priority is getting to know the players, then doing the same with the club’s prospects playing in Springfield, junior hockey, college and Europe. Character, he said, is of utmost importance.

“I’m talking about getting to know them as teammates and citizens, and that’s a long process,” said Kekalainen, who will remain with the team for games at St. Louis on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday. “You can’t get to know them like that from the stands or the press box. I’ve been watching a lot of these guys since they were 17 years old, but that doesn’t mean I know them personally. That is really important. I really believe in that.”

The Blue Jackets have the worst record in the league, but Kekalainen doesn’t expect to make any sudden moves. He said he will “respect the process” with regard to coach Todd Richards.

“I’m just going to take my time to get to know everybody better and find out what they’re all about,” Kekalainen said.

Vanished

The Red Wings entered last night’s game with four consecutive losses and the 25th-ranked power play in the NHL. They are the only team without a power-play goal on the road (0 of 28), and coach Mike Babcock said the unit “has been nonexistent.”

“Not inconsistent,” Babcock said. “Nonexistent. We have to get better at that.”

Slap shots

The Blue Jackets were originally scheduled to fly to St. Louis last night but postponed their trip to this morning because of a winter storm rolling across the Midwest. … A CT scan revealed that Springfield forward Wade MacLeod has an undisclosed “benign mass” and will undergo further examination, according to a statement released by his family and the team. MacLeod suffered an on-ice seizure during a game on Sunday.

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